 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
We are thinking about booking ahead for Xmas 2023 but obviously have taken note of the lack of snow this year in many French resorts...
I'm the opposite of a ski snob and have had many great value Feb half term bargains including Samoens and Kirchberg via Munich but have also been to the 3Vs, Finland, Sauze and Bulgaria.
My ideal resort would be:
-Snow sure at Xmas (not necessarily at resort/ village level)
-Good value (up to £3k max for a proper chalet/ house for 6 people)
- Medium to large ski area
- Great for lazy intermediate skiers
-Few drag lifts (snow board friendly)
- Short airport transfer (ideally from Munich or Geneva or maybe even Italian airports. Ideally NOT Grenoble/ Lyon due to flight availability)
-NOT Val Thorens or similar due to feeling ill at altitude and finding it very bleak!
I was starting to think of St Gervais but the snow this Xmas has put me off. I wonder if there might be other resorts where you can stay in a proper town and access the slopes really easily without needing a car (don't mind a gondola or very efficient/ frequent ski bus but must be able to walk to restaurants in the evening too, so nothing too remote).
Can anyone help me think out of the box, please?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I’m not sure that you’ll get snow sure at Xmas without the altitude  But will be watching for suggestions.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hi Boris, I don't mind altitude, just not quite as high as Val Thorens (at least not at resort level!)
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La Villa in the dolomites.
A great big intermediate playground right on the doorstep (Alta Badia) plus access to the sella ronda .
Not a glamorous town like Corvara or San Cassiano next door but much better value accommodation.
Snow sure is a funny one , the dolomites get generally less snow than other parts of the alps (with occasional big dumps) but the air is usually cool and dry and the Italians are the masters of artificial snow.
You are pretty much guaranteed good piste skiing and the majority of the slopes will be open by Xmas.
For an even lower cost option , go a little further out to Badia - a few lovely local slopes (Santa Croce) but 30 mins and you can be in Alta Badia by lifts and slopes (no buses). Badia has the advantage of also being a short ski bus from the Kronplatz area for a different flavour of dolomites skiing.
Very few drag lifts anywhere .
Flights to Innsbruck gives the shortest transfer.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Can you think of a reason why a resort with all the highly desirable attributes you list would be "lesser known"? 
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Try Val Cenis with its 125kms of runs, a little over 2 hours from Geneva or similar from Turin - we are here currently and the snow is perfectly fine at altitude (goes up to 2800m)though a bit slushy in the afternoon lower down as you would expect in the current weather. Can’t comment on accom as we own a place, but quite a few are almost ski in/out and there is an efficient navette system if you don’t want to walk.
The ski pass also allows you to take in the local resorts of La Norma, Valfrejus, Aussois and Bonneval Sur Arc.
Good luck with your research.
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Ha ha good point, Pam! Maybe I should have said lesser known to the British market.
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Les Saisies actually ticks quite a few of your boxes. It's not high enough to be bomb-proof in terms of snow, but it's better than (for example) the Grand Massif and has had a good range of runs open through the recent carnage. This webcam is at village level (1650m).
Dismal, compared to normal, but at leasts the pistes are white!!
https://en.lessaisies.com/webcam-french-ski-resort-savoie-mont-blanc-alps.html
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@andmelffion and Pam, I will check those two suggestions. Thanks 
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And sheffskibod, that idea looks amazing but we are a bit put off by flying to Innsbruck.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
we are a bit put off by flying to Innsbruck.
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Venice is fine too. And if you organise it right you can have a day in Venice. If you've never been to Venice, it's a must. The skiing in the Dolomites really is terrific for piste cruisers (I'm one of those) and the scenery probably the best anywhere. All mountains are lovely but the Dolomites knock spots off spots off most of the "ordinary" French and Austrian resorts. That part of Italy really has a lot to offer.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| andmelffion wrote: |
Try Val Cenis with its 125kms of runs, a little over 2 hours from Geneva or similar from Turin - we are here currently and the snow is perfectly fine at altitude (goes up to 2800m)though a bit slushy in the afternoon lower down as you would expect in the current weather. Can’t comment on accom as we own a place, but quite a few are almost ski in/out and there is an efficient navette system if you don’t want to walk.
The ski pass also allows you to take in the local resorts of La Norma, Valfrejus, Aussois and Bonneval Sur Arc.
Good luck with your research. |
To endorse this area, one in which general UK facing promotion makes it a little less prominent than traditional headline big name ski areas.
Quite subtle in it's attributes overall, but as noted has much to offer. Clearly weather and snow conditions at this time of year can vary significantly with nothing more than luck to determine. Val Cenis though is nearly all north facing in it's slope area and always holds snow well when available. You can see the temperature difference in comparison when there on the opposite side of the valley (south facing and just south of val thoren) Which I suspect even accumulate less early in season from summer warming of land mass locally with direct sun all day long. Plenty to ski all week in area size, laced with chair/gondola for easy access and with fairly extensive accommodation. Layed out along the valley road from Llanselbourg to Llansvillard village centres (these two comprising Val Cenis as a whole) with different accommodation between the two, the piste travels all along that stretch for direct access on ski/board with local bus also, meaning it doesn't really matter where you are located for accessible convenience.
We favour Llansvillard at the higher end being more old farming village than Llanselbourg being a little more commercial (more shops, cinema etc) but you can walk or bus between the two being about 2kms in total.
Good food, restaurant etc and with lift also, they are all vslue in comparison to those headline areas in overall cost.
Well worth consideration.
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You know it makes sense.
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Clear and very obviously only there to access VT ski area, it doesn't fit well the other elements of OP though.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Try Champoluc or any other Monterosa resort. We just went there for a pre-Xmas week and it was amazing! Much cheaper and quieter than big French resorts we usually go to. Snow was great. Shortish transfer from Turin. Enough skiing for the week and some nice food too
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Noo72 wrote: |
| And sheffskibod, that idea looks amazing but we are a bit put off by flying to Innsbruck. |
Because of a lack of flights? Or some other reason?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Les Sybelles area?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Have a look at Serre Chevalier, staying in Monetier. 1500m.
Only once, in 5/6 trips was there ever poor snow and, even then, the white ribbons to resort were skiable. If the valley runs are a bit sketchy, there is loads from mid station up to keep one entertained for a week.
The town is typically French and quite charming.
Assuming there is enough snow (and I’ve never experienced any issues), there are c280km of well-linked pistes, much of which is cruisey intermediate. Plenty of harder and more challenging options too. The area is also popular with snowboarders with lift-accessed off-piste to the sides of the piste.
A shade under 2 hours from Turin by car. I managed it in 1.5 hours, once…but I was on my own… 
It’s not exactly a crazy Apres ski vibe, but there are places with a bit of life.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Noo72,
Lower villages in the Tarentaise mega-resorts eg Brevieres (Espace Killy) or Villaroger (Paradiski)?
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Montgenevre from Turin airport although we prefer to drive or get the train there.
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We've we're in St Sorlin D'Arves, returned Xams day and had a fab time. Odd day of rain but I don't think anyone has escaped that in the Alpes this year.
Great accommodation thro Sunweb, chalets Lezami. Nice village with super friendly locals.
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@Noo72, A couple more fir consideration;-
Champèry in Switzerland as access to PdS, good village but wuth large cable car direct from village centre straight up to ski plateau, no mucking about with multiple lifts etc. Own ski area linking to Avoriaz and onward, also with decent altitude for snow keeping.
Further along the Rhone Valley (travel is past multiple Swiss ski areas all along there) to Grimentz for enchanting village and again with lift direct from heart of village straight up to higher ski plateau. Also with cable car direct from same to cross over the head of the valley D Anniviers to Zinal ski area. All very easy to use with predominantly North facing catchment for snow build/conditions throughout the season.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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You do have to be careful - Christmas 2014 (20th to 27th Dec) I was thinking outside the box and booked a place at Le Sept Laux. It was a poor start to the season and it didn't open as planned so had to switch to Tignes at the last minute. That was pretty easy for us as it was a DIY trip and we were driving. If it was a TO they would perhaps bus you to an open resort each day.
Staying somewhere low that links to higher altitude skiing is definitely a good idea.
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